🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <13@nx32s.anduk.co.uk> lee@anduk.co.uk (Liam R. Quin) writes:
> In article <1109@wpg.UUCP> russ@wpg.UUCP (Russell Lawrence) writes:
> >I've just started working with troff and would like to become more
> >adept at writing/changing macros.  Could someone recommend a few good
> >books and articles?  Thanks.

> Dougherty, Dale & O'Reilly, Tim: UNIX Text Procesing
> Hayden Books, Indianapolis, 1987 0-672-46291-5, 665pp
> Probably the best of its kind.  Well worth it!

> Emerson, Sandra & Paulsell, Karen: troff Typesetting for Unix Systems
> Prentice-Hall, 1987, 0-13-930959-4, 359pp
> Not as good as Hougherty & O'Reilly's book, although it does give some info
> about good old titroff.

These are both excellent books, but for different audiences.

If you are just getting started with UNIX in general as well as with
n/troff, go with Dougherty and O'Reilly.  You'll learn less about
n/troff, but more about other things you'll need (other standard UNIX
tools) to be really productive.  For example, there's a brief chapter
on how to use "vi".

On the other hand, if you've already been around UNIX for a while and
just want to learn lots about n/troff, get Emerson and Paulsell.  I
also have a whole shelf of n/troff books (including both of these) and
consider this to be the best I've seen.  However, it is pretty
complete (and therefore possibly scary if it's your first book on the
subject).

Your best bet is to look at both in a bookstore.  You'll be able to
tell within a couple minutes which one is more your speed.
--
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   Bill Carpenter         att!ho5cad!wjc  or  attmail!bill